Love is a Deadly Mission
by PowerInWriting
Summary: Fang has become a spy at the agency, Winged Angels. He's paired up with Max Ride to find out about Itex. He's attracted to Max, but her motto is, "Never fall in love." Will he be able to change her mind while completing his deadly mission? FAX! All human
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody! I'm mysterywriter2418, and this is my second story. For those of you who have read my other story, **_**No Itex Right?**_**, don't worry, I will also update that. But I'm just eager to get this story started. Please enjoy!**

**Note: This will probably mostly be in Fang's POV**

**Disclaimer-I don't own the epic, amazing flock, or capiche?**

**Chapter 1. Transferred**

**Fang POV**

"Okay, there's a hallway to your left dude.", David's voice crackled in my ear. I sharply turned to the left, skidding a bit.

Yo, I'm Fang Martinez. I'm 14 years old and a top-notch spy. Yeah, be jealous. I work for the secret agency, Dark Hawks. I think it's a pretty rockin' name, but David thinks it's stupid.

Oh, you don't know who David is. He's like my mentor, but also like my father. See, when I was 8 years old, my parents abandoned me, leaving me in the dark streets of San Francisco. That's not the best place to leave your child, but that's just me.

Anyway, after 2 weeks of wandering around and stealing food and money from adults, I came across David. I was trying to pickpocket him, but he noticed at the last second since he was a trained spy, you know?

Since I was a totally awesome kid, I started groveling and asking him to forgive me. I didn't know what else to do, I'd never been caught before.

But David was interested in me. He hadn't noticed me till the last second, and seeing as he was a spy, he wanted to know how I did it. After finding out about my parents and how I stayed alive, he took me in and trained me to be a spy too.

So here I am, one of the top agents in my agency, getting ready to steal some important information from a bad and mysterious agency, Itex.

I was wearing dark clothes, a leather jacket, black tee, black jeans, a dark belt with some gadgets on it, and black Converse. Just so you know, this is also my casual wear.

The outside of Itex made it look like a huge, bleach white building. So, totally boring, right?

Wrong. On the inside, it was dark and spooky. The perfect setting for a spy mission.

I gripped the flash drive I had, and focused on the doors in front of me, the ones that read COMPUTER ROOM. I sprinted faster, but making sure to be quiet. The hallways were dark, but to me, that added the urgency. No one was in the halls, but they could come any minute.

I finally burst through the doors, and looked around. I was in a dark room, with no lights on, that was the size of an average backyard. In the midst of computers, I saw one that looked to be 3 times the size of a an average computer in the middle. This was it.

I listened for any footsteps, like how I was taught in my training. When I heard none, I walked towards the computer. I quickly found the slot for a flash drive, and stuck mine inside. I booted up the computer, then expertly hacked in. I wasn't a tech wiz, but this I could do.

A series of files appeared on the screen, then were transferred into the flash drive.

10 minutes later, and I was still here. It didn't seem like I had even downloaded even half of the files. I started to panic. It wouldn't be long before the guards I had knocked out would wake up and alert someone about me. _Come on, hurry up!_, I shouted in my head.

Suddenly, a window appeared on the screen, reading DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. Perfect. I quickly pulled out the flash drive, placed it in my jacket pocket, and turned to leave, when I heard footsteps come toward the door.

My instincts kicked in, and I dove behind a file cabinet that would just hide me. I heard the door open, but didn't dare look to see. I breathed through my nose, staying quiet. I could hear the person humming Teenage Dream by Katy Perry. But by the voice, this was a man.

Weird…

The footsteps came closer and closer, as the humming grew louder. With a sense of dread, I realized that the person was headed straight for the file cabinet I was behind. I stayed quiet, not daring to even breath, for fear of being discovered.

The man opened the top drawer and shuffled through some papers. He then slammed the drawer shut, then briskly walked back toward the doors.

I didn't let go of my breath until I heard the doors shut. Maybe this would be the first mission where I didn't have to fight for my life! Too bad, I thought that was the most fun part. I quickly and quietly walked out of my hiding spot and out the doors…..

…straight into a group of guards wearing blue vests and pants. Woops, spoke too soon.

"Hey! You're not supposed to-", the guard was cut off when I hit the pressure point in his neck, sending him straight to the floor. The other guards growled at me, then charged.

This is where the fun comes in.

I let my mind become completely immersed in the fight. The first guard that reached me extended his arm to my head, but I quickly ducked down. Then, I raised my hand up, grabbed his arm, and swung him out towards the other 3 guards. They were all down in seconds. In my 6 years of espionage, these were the worst guards _ever._

"Fang, you still there?", David asked in my earpiece.

"Yup, just ran into a _very _short scuffle", I answered, smirking.

"Excellent. Now get out through a window or something, I'm still in the van."

See, David had driven me here in a big van, that held all those computers and camera and junk that you see on TV. He had parked about 2 blocks away to avoid suspicion.

I stepped over the unconscious men and started towards a huge window beside the computer room. I punched my fist through the glass, shattering the window. My knuckles started bleeding a bit, but I could handle it.

I looked down. I was about 8 stories high. No biggie. I quickly pulled out an extendable, metallic string from my belt. On one end was a circular latch where the string came from. Since the latch was also magnetic, I stuck the strong magnet onto the metal frame of the window, and tied the other end of the string around my waist. On the other end of the string was a device I could use to make the string keep getting longer, or stop. I didn't have to worry about length, the string could go about 15 stories easy.

I looked down again. "Here we go!", I said out loud, then jumped.

I freefalled a bit, then pressed the button on the device on my belt to stop the string from expanding. I walked down parallel the rest of the way, gave a sharp pull to the string to unlatch it, and put my gadget back on my belt. I smirked again, then ran to the van.

**This is a line people! A line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line, a line.**

David and I walked through the doors of the abandoned candle factory. We walked to the back of the building, to the bathrooms. We entered the girl's bathroom, (ooh, we went in the girl's bathroom) and into the biggest stall. David reached out and flushed the toilet.

Suddenly, the floor shot downwards with us standing on it. I leaned against the wall of the elevator, looking totally badass. David turned to me.

"So, you got it?", he asked. "Mhm, right here", I answered, patting my jacket pocket.

David had a head of dark brown hair. He was freakishly tall, and wore a worn out brown jacket. He also wore blue jeans and blue sneakers. I always felt comfortable around David, I mean, he raised me. He was one of the few people I respected.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped, and we stepped off the platform. As soon as our weight had come off, the platform shot back up. People were buzzing around, holding different objects. Some clipboards, coffee, guns, pens, food, gadgets, etc. Just a normal day at Dark Hawks.

David and I quickly walked to the main office, where the main director of this agency was.

Actually, it wasn't an office, more like a ballroom. A ballroom filled with computers and screens and cameras and people. A ballroom that looked like a spy computer room.

People were busy on the computers, pressing buttons, talking, looking at screens.

A circular table was in the middle. Behind it, sat Valencia Martinez, or Dr. M. She was the director **(A/N not the evil Director!). **I could see that she was working on a pile of papers. When she noticed us, she placed the papers down.

She smiled at us, then motioned for us to sit down in two plush chairs in front of her. We quickly sat.

"So Fang, David, I trust your mission went well?", she asked bluntly. That was Dr. M, straight to the point.

"Yup", I said, popping the P. David smiled charmingly at her.

I reached into my pocket and drew out the black flash drive. Dr. M smiled at me again.

"Oh, you're not giving that to me, you will be giving that to the agency, Winged Angels."

I blinked. What? Winged Angels was the top spy agency in the world! I looked at David, who looked just as confused.

Dr. M continued. "That agency is where you will be permanently transferred, and partnered up with the highest level agent, Maximum Ride.'

**That concludes the first chapter. I hope that you people review, in fact, 5 reviews, and I update.**


	2. Chapter 2 New Agency, New Interests

**Alrighty, before we start this chapter, I want to thank all of you who reviewed, favorited, and alerted my story! I was so happy to see my inbox full of alerts from , so thanks! **

**Okay, so I've decided to reply to your reviews here, so:**

**Fanglover18-Thanks, I really wanted this to be original.**

**Zink-the-zebra-Thanks, here's your update!**

**Avstories-Thank you, and no, sorry, you weren't the first to review, but you were 3****rd****!**

**Super ellie. 'D- Wow! You should be proud to know that you wrote the longest update! Don't worry, I won't get discouraged as long as people like you are reviewing and supporting me! You should also know that your idea interested me….**

**Flaming carebears-Thank you, I try to make this story awesome!**

**O.o-KatielovesFudge-O.o- Thaaaaannkkkk Youuuuuuu!**

**Ally- Well, Max is actually going to be in this chapter!**

**Chocogirl24- Thank you, and I love your username!**

**KC- Thanks!**

**Me- I'm glad you love this.**

**Kell young- Thanks a ton! You made a very good first impression on me from your review!**

**Cool- Thank you!**

**Readinglove- Thank you sooooooo much!**

**Okay, I've already taken up about a page, so let's get started! Sorry this chapter might seem late, but my laptop went all wacko and when I turn it on, the screen goes all black and tries to read a disk that isn't there (maybe someone could help?). In fact, this chapter is from my family desktop. But I really wanted to get this up, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer-No, I don't own Maximum Ride or her flock, stop asking me!**

**Chapter 2. New Agency, New Interests**

**Fang POV**

I stood up quickly, slamming my hands down on Dr. M's desk. "Are you serious? I really get to be a part of Winged Angels?" I excitedly asked. Hey, I know I'm supposed to be emotionless (emotions show weakness in espionage), but this was a huge deal, Winged Angels was an elite agency, and this was my dream come true!

Dr. M looked up at me, since I was now towering over her. She motioned for me to sit, and I did quickly. Then she smiled again. "Yes Fang, you are to go straight there tomorrow morning. Your partner in this mission will be Maximum Ride. Since you two are the top agents in these two agencies, you will be paired up."

Hm, this guy sounded like a big deal over there. I couldn't wait to meet him. I looked up at David. He seemed frozen. I frowned. Wait, this meant that David would stay…

"….with you," Dr. M announced, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"I said, David will stay with you," Dr. M repeated slowly, as if I was dumb. Psh, yeah right…

I looked back at David again. Now he was smiling as if he was told that he would be given 10 million dollars. So yeah, he was pretty dang happy.

On the inside, I grinned widely. On the outside, I just nodded at her. "Cool," I answered.

Dr. M smiled again (she's very cheerful), then dismissed us.

We walked out the door. The huge, domed, white room still held many people as David and I pushed our way through the crowd. Some people congratulated me on my permanent transfer, and I thanked them. I was pretty cheerful, until Sam, another agent, stopped me.

He and I were kind of like enemies. On the first day of my training here, Sam and I had been put up against each other in a forest environment for a survival test. I had unanimously won, and Sam pushed me into a wall, and punched my nose. Thus began our rivalry.

Unlike everyone else, Sam had a sneer on his face. "So, heard you got transferred to Winged Angels," Sam scowled.

I smirked. "Yeah, what's it to ya?"

He smirked too. "When Dr. M transfers _me_ there, I'll scare you so much, you'll run all the way back here."

Yeah, right! I got up right in his face and said, "You mean how _you _did?"

That made Sam snap. He hurtled a fist at my face, but I caught it just before it landed. Admit it, that's pretty badass.

See, Sam actually was transferred to Winged Angels about two months ago (which made me mad), but on his first mission, he freaked out and ended up back here (which made me laugh). Well, I wasn't going to do that.

Sam's face was all red; it looked like he was going to explode. By now, everyone in the room was watching us, while David was just leaning against a wall as if this was totally normal. To him, it was.

Sam waited about 3 seconds, before putting his fist down. He snarled, "Watch your back, Martinez."

I stared at him for about 2 seconds, before lunging towards him. We both slammed into the wall behind Sam. As we were hurtling towards it, everyone behind him quickly ran out of the way.

I pinned Sam to the wall, one hand clenching his shirt, the other in a fist about an inch from his face. "Don't mess with me," I whispered menacingly. He glared at me.

I held him there for about 5 seconds before letting him go. I quickly turned around toward David, everyone parting to make a path for me. They were all whispering. As soon as I reached David, he nodded to me. I nodded back, and we headed towards our rooms.

As soon as we were in the empty hallway, David started laughing. See, David didn't like to act like himself around others, accept for me (or when he's flirting). To others, he may seem like a brick wall (he's where I got my emotionless mask). But when no one else is around, his real personality breaks out. As in, perverted, flirty, funny, friendly, cheery.

"What's so funny?" I asked. He was laughing so much, tears were coming out of his eyes.

"Y-y-your fights w-with Sa-am always m-make me l-l-laugh!" He started guffawing again. He didn't even sound human anymore.

After his laughs subsided, he turned to me. "So, ready for your mission at Winged Angels?" he asked.

I smirked. "Actually, I think Winged Angels should get ready for me."

**I wanted to stop here, but that's mean. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A LINE!**

Trees and buildings flew by as I watched from my seat. David and I were currently being driven to the entrance of Winged Angels. We were in a black Mercedes, which seemed a bit conspicuous to me, but whatever. Our driver was our escort, Mr. Man. Actually, that's what I called him, since he was wearing a mask and he wouldn't tell us his name.

David and I didn't talk much during the ride, we were both too excited to talk. My stomach was fluttering, I was so nervous, but I was excited at the same time.

5 minutes later, the car stopped in front of the entrance of a Wal-Mart. David and I looked at each other, puzzled. How would you enter a top-secret agency in front of so many people?

Mr. Man stepped out and motioned for us to follow him, which we did. We entered through the automatic doors, and I looked around. Wal-Mart was full today. There was no way we'd be able to use a secret entrance without people seeing. But I guess the driver didn't care, because he led us on through the madness of Wal-Mart. We weaved through the crowds, avoiding screaming babies, stressed moms, mad children, and an Elvis impersonator (don't ask).

Mr. Man finally led us to the EMPLOYEES ONLY door. The letters weren't written on a sign, they were those letters that those girls use for scrap booking. He opened the door, showing a normal hallway with lockers, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Then he closed the door. David and I continued looking at him, curious. Mr. Man reached up to the glued-on letters. He took hold of the M in the words and pulled it off the door. Then he turned the M upside down, making a W, and stuck it back into place. Now, the words spelled EWPLOYEES ONLY. Mr. Man reached up again and pressed on the new W, and the letter pushed into the door, like pushing a button.

David and I were looking on in shock. Mr. Man opened the door, but this time, the employee hang-out had transformed into a long, silvery hallway with lights on the wall. Mr. Man pushed us through. Before closing the door, he turned the W back into an M. Man, this way of entering was soooo much better than flushing the toilet! After shutting the door, we started walking through the hallway to a bright light at the end, like you see in those really dramatic movies. When we arrived at the end, I was amazed at what I saw.

Man, I thought Dark Hawks was big, but Winged Angels was gigantic! The building we were in now was domed at the top, so you could see the bright sunlight, filling the huge room. People in whitecoats, suits, and street clothes were buzzing around. I could see the hallway that led to the rooms was right across from us. There was a loud buzzing in the room, courtesy of everyone talking and machines whirring. People were pushing buttons on computers and machines, and writing on clipboards.

Mr. Man nodded at us, then melted into the crowd of people. David and I shrugged at each other, then got ready to step into the crowd. But before we could even take a step, a man stopped us. He had tousled brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing a whitecoat. He stretched his hand out to us. "I'm Jeb Batchelder, the director of Winged Angels," he said. David took his outstretched hand.

"I'm David Crumm," David said, smiling. "This is Fang Martinez, your new agent." I smirked at Jeb, who nodded.

"We're excited to have you both here," Jeb said. "I actually have to run now, but I'll tell you more about our agency later. Now, stay here. This is where you'll meet your partner." Jeb smiled, then left quickly.

I blinked, it seemed like he was a master at fast exits. "Fang!" I turned to David, who was staring at someone in front of him. I looked where he was looking, and saw a goddess.

**Fine, a few more paragraphs. Here it is is is is is is is is is is is is is…**

The girl had the most silkiest hair. It was a beautiful blonde with natural brown streaks running through it. She had the most perfect complexion, and a very athletic body, yet perfect curves. And her eyes, they were the warmest brown I had ever seen. She was wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black jean jacket. There was a tall brunette next to her, but I didn't pay attention to her. I looked over at David, but he seemed to be staring at the brunette. I shook my head, and continued staring at the amazing girl. I was so busy staring, I didn't know that they were standing in front of us, waiting, until a few moments later. The girl's scent filled my nose, and she smelled like flowers and peaches. I loved it.

The girl smirked at me, then said, "Like what you see?" Her voice sounded so melodic, I wanted to hear it forever. Instead, I straightened up and smirked at her. She leaned in close to me, and I felt like fainting. "Well, you can't have it," she whispered in my ear. She straightened. This girl was very interesting. She stuck her tongue out at me, and I smirked again. The brunette had been talking to David. Now, she turned to me. "It's nice to meet you, Fang. This is Maximum Ride."

Maximum and I looked at each other in shock. This was my partner? I thought Maximum Ride was a dude! Max looked equally shocked. "You're Fang?" she asked in that beautiful voice again. I nodded stupidly. "I thought Fang would be a dumb weirdo, not ho-" she cut herself off, and I smirked at her. She glared at me. Is it weird that a girl that glares can still look beautiful? Looks like there are more things here to be interested in than just my mission.

**Ooh, Fang is totally whipped! Hee-hee! I hope you guys like! 10 reviews, and I update, so REVIEW PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3 She's DifferentGood Differen

**Hey people! Merry Christmas! So sorry for updating slow and the OOCness….he-he…I'M SO SORRY! When I saw the reviews about it, I re-read the chapter a few days later, and saw you guys were right….so SORRY! But I promise they are back in character this time!**

**Alright, now that my sincere apology is over, here are your responses to your reviews!**

**ME-You smart aleck! Very smart though…**

**SILVER PANTHER 17-Thanks! Mwahahahaha!**

**Death Waters-Gracias! **

**ellawantswings-Well, the brunette is *whisper*. And yes, Fang is whipped ;)**

**readinglove-Thanks!**

**Crazii Chicka-Thank you, and I love your username!**

**Bigtimebooks-Thank you very much!**

**UnbrokenSilences-Well, in Fang's point of view…**

**Bigtimeleaf-He-he, here's your update….please don't hurt me! ;)**

**Lady Marshmellow Grimm-…..Good thing I updated…**

**Readergirl99-Good point….**

**Flowerchild22-Well….**

**Super ellie. 'D-Ok, ok, I updated, don't let the angry sporks attack me!**

**PANTER-PRIDE-Woops, forgot to PM you, sorry!**

**Nightflyer18-Thank you!**

**xFang'sgirlkirstx-Glad I can make dreams come true!**

**NomadGirl12-Thanks!**

**BLANK-I'll try not to!**

**Angel's Detective-Sorry….Thanks!**

**Alright, I've already taken up one page, so here we go!**

**Disclaimer-*breath in* I DON'T OWN MAXIMUM RIDE AND HER AMAZING FLOCK! *choke***

**Chapter 3. She's Different…Good Different**

**Fang POV**

"Y-y-you're really Maximum?" David stuttered. Maximum smirked.

"The one and only. But call me Max." She looked at me. "And you're really Fang?" I nodded.

"You know, you're not exactly what I thought…." I trailed off, thinking, _….being a gorgeous girl instead of a guy….._ I mentally shook my head. _No! Bad Fang! A girl that looks like this must be too good to be true…..probably another Lissa._

See, Lissa was my ex-*shudder*_girlfriend._ Really, I don't know what I saw in her. At first, she seemed like a nice, hot girl. So when she said yes to my asking her out, I was thrilled. But 3 months into our relationship, I found out she had already been with _four_ other guys! Can you say _slut_?

Anyway, I was really hoping that Max wouldn't be like that.

"Fang? Fang! FANG!" I snapped out of my reverie to see David waving his hand in front of my face and shouting.

I adjusted my eyes and looked at him with a blank stare. I knew he would know it meant I was back in the real world. He shook his head at me knowingly. David knew when I was whipped-er, out of thought.

I turned back to Max. She and the brunette both had one eyebrow raised and looked at me like I was insane. But I'm not…..

Wanting to get the subject away from my insanity, I decided to find out who the brunette was. When I asked her, she said, " My name is Madison, but you can call me Maddie. I'm Max's mentor, like David is to you." She smiled charmingly at David, who smiled back. When she turned back to me, I could see David let out a silent, dreamy sigh. I mentally shook my head. _Looks like someone has a crush…, _I thought.

"…sister", Maddie said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Huh?", I asked incoherently.

Madison gave me that _you're insane_ look again. "I'm Max's sister", she said again. "And we have another younger sister named Ella."

"Oh….." I looked from Max to Madison and saw that they did look similar. They both had the same tans, brown eyes, and their faces did look like each other. But I couldn't help but think that Max's tan was more gorgeous and her eyes were warmer.

Maddie just smiled at me, and turned to Max. "So squirt, you think you could introduce Fang to the rest of the gang while I talk with David?"

I blinked. Whoa. Maddie's polite manner had suddenly turned to playful. That took skills.

Max pouted at Madison. "Just because I'm shorter than you doesn't mean I'm _short._ And yeah, I'll show Fang around." Maddie smiled at her and ruffled her hair, then turned to David.

"So, coffee?", she asked. David grinned.

"I would love some", he said. I could tell his flirty side would start coming out as soon as he had his first sip. Maddie smiled again, then led him away into a set of doors at the left of us.

Max turned to me. "Ready to meet the gang?" she asked. I just nodded. She rolled her eyes at my silent demeanor and started walking to a door to the right of us. As we walked there, she said hi to various people in the crowd. It looked like Max was popular around here.

When we finally got to the door, she opened it for me and gestured for me to walk in. Soon, we were walking side by side through the deserted hallway. After a few minutes of silence, she turned to me. "Just so you know, you shouldn't take any offense when I said I wouldn't date you." I just looked at her, silently telling her to continue. I was genuinely curious. Luckily, she could see that.

"Well, see…..how do I explain…..you were taught that emotions show weakness in espionage, right?" I nodded, waiting for her to continue.

"Well, I was trained when I was, like, 8 years old by Maddie. My parents abandoned me and my sister Ella in Las Vegas on a street curb. Maddie, who had been training, took us in when she somehow found out. So, I kinda am a little serious about that. 'Never fall in love' is actually my motto. I've never been on a date or had a boyfriend. So don't think that you're ugly or anything, because you're actually pretty cu-" She suddenly cut herself off, blushing, causing me to smirk. She glared at me.

"Just tell your story" she snapped. I smirked again, but decided to talk.

"My story is pretty much the same as yours. I was abandoned at 8 years old in San Francisco and David found me. I was trained at Dark Hawks, got promoted, and now here I am."

I looked at Max to see her staring at me in shock. I just stared blankly at her. She shut her mouth, which had been hanging open, and stopped walking, causing me to stop too.

"Sorry…..it's just, that's the longest I've heard you talk all day. I was starting to think that you were a brick wall or something."

I just shrugged, when inside, I was confused at myself. That had actually been the longest I'd talked in a while. And oddly enough, I felt so comfortable with her, and I had just met her. I felt like I was talking to David.

Max cleared her throat and continued walking. "Alright, now that that's done, let's go meet the group." I just followed her, and as comfortable silence filled the hallway, I tried to organize my thoughts. My conclusion-Max was different…good different.

**That's the end of the chapter, sorry it was short! The next chapter: Meeting the Flock. Now, **_**EVERYONE READ THIS: **_**DO YOU GUYS WANT EGGY OR NIGGY? Tell me in your review! REVIEW! **


	4. Chapter 4 Meeting the Flock and a Moment

_**Hey guys, what's up? Sorry about the long wait! SORRY SORRY! And just to apologize, I have a very long chapter for you guys!**_

…_**.**_

_**Anyway, I have a few announcements. In fact, this will be a loooooooooonnngggg author's beginning note, and I would like everyone to READ THE FOLLOWING! READ THE FOLLOWING! READ THE FOLLOWING! READ THE FOLLOWING! READ THE FOLLOWING!**_** First, I have A POLL UP! As you can probably tell, I'm pretty excited, seeing as this is my first one. It's about something I've been wondering about for a while. I won't tell you what it's about though, 'cause you guys may get curious and want to see….SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!**

**Next. For those of you who have read my other story, **_**No Itex Right?,**_** it's once again up and running. I'll be updating that story soon!**

**ALSO, THE RESULTS FOR THE EGGY AND NIGGY CONTEST! I'd first like to thank you guys for your reviews, and the votes. Now, …out of 15 voters…here are the results….**

**Eggy-10**

**Niggy-5**

**Eggy wins! I'm extremely sorry Niggy lovers! I'm letting you Niggy lovers decide this: Who Nudge does end up with (besides Iggy)! I'm sorry if this doesn't make up for it….hehe…..**

**Lastly, thanks once again to everyone who favorited, alerted, or reviewed! It's what keeps me going! Now, your replies (I won't be replying to everyone, but thanks to all!)**

**OSCAR-THE-GROUCH17-Updated! Oscar…..Sesame Street, right?**

**-Yeah, there was no name on this one, but I'll hopefully finish this story before you die!**

**Synchnride-Cool, thanks!**

**xXB-A-C-O-N Spells LOVExX- Yeah, I know what it's like to be lazy…..Love your screen name by the way! Yeah, I wanted this story to have comedy incorporated into it, and I wanted it to be unique. And, seriously? Avan Jogia's gonna play Fang? Hmm….**

**Nightflyer19-"…Iggy likes to make eggs….." I loved your reason for eggy!**

**Keggy and Heggy- Hehe, sorry about the niggy…but I love your profile pic!**

**Ally-Actually, Maddie is their blood sister, but she was training to be a spy when they were abandoned. Coolio?**

**Super ellie. 'D-Cookies please, no sporks! PLEASE! I'd just like to let you know that I love reading your reviews. Your insight is very helpful to me, and I love your attitude. Your long reviews are a bonus! Thanks!**

**The Codebreaker-You're a diehard for niggy?...oh…..sorry…..:)**

**Overcome-Whipped Fangy is in for more!**

**Roylpain-Thanks! I love your screen name!**

**Hiya-Thank you! Creative name….**

**Flowerchild22-You niggy lovers are making me feel guilty! Sorry about that….but thanks for the review!**

**Bigtimebooks-Aah, Jacob….ahem, anyway, thanks!**

**Angel's Detective-Ooh! A detective! Thanks!**

**Readinglove-Here's your update! And thank you!**

**WaytoPretty-Man, your guys' screen names are so cool! Update here!**

**Zink-the-zebra-Max, more sarcastic. Cool, thanks!**

**Wow, I've already taken up almost 2 pages, sorry about that! Let's rock and roll!**

**Disclaimer-Ugh, once again, Maximum Ride and her flock aren't….aren't…..mine!**

**Chapter 4. Meeting the Flock and a Quiet Moment**

**Fang's POV**

Max and I stopped in front of a red colored door. I could hear voices inside, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. At one point, one of the voices actually started shouting, causing another to start screaming. Soon, all the voices were shrieking and I could hear objects being thrown around. I turned to Max questioningly. She just smirked at me and opened the door.

When we walked in, everyone inside froze. There were 5 people inside. At first, I looked around at the room. It was about the size of 2 average family rooms. There was a flat-screen TV hanging on the wall across from the door we had just entered. In front of the TV was a 3 piece furniture set, complete with an automan. A full-duty kitchen was on the right side of the room, complete with a dining table with 7 seats set around it. That was the normal part of the room. On the left, a whole set of computers lay on 3 tables in front of a huge screen on the wall. In front of the screen was a large keyboard filled with dozens of buttons and switches. It looked like it was taken out of those spy movies, you know, considering we are spies. It took me a few minutes to actually look at the crazy scene going on.

A spikey-blond headed boy that looked about 11 years old was sprawled on the floor. But the wackiest part was that an 8 year old girl with blond curls was straddling him, fist raised as if she were about to punch him. In front of the couch, a strawberry blonde guy that looked 14 had his hands in front of his face, as if shielding himself. 2 girls stood before him, one maybe 13 years old, who had brown curls, holding an expensive-looking vase. The other girl was African American. Her hair was crazy curly, and she looked to be 12 years old. She was holding a big wooden spoon, wielding it like a sword. Everybody seemed to be wearing all black clothes-spy clothes.

Everyone looked at Max and me for 5 seconds, and then continued their business of trying to kill the two boys. I raised an eyebrow. Who were these kids?

Max, finally responding, shouted, "GUYS! LISTEN UP!" Everyone looked up at her again, as if she were a leader.

Max looked confident and stern, as she said, "Even though there are many reasons to, why are you trying to kill Gazzy and Iggy?"

Gazzy and Iggy? What kind of names were those? And people thought my name was weird…..

The blonde girl stood up off of the boy. "They said that Justin Bieber was stupid! Can you believe that?" Great, another crazy fan of him. No offense to him or fans of him, but fans could really be crazy. Plus, I wasn't a fan.

Max was pinching the bridge of her nose, as if saying, _why me? _Her hair fell around her face, emphasizing her look of despair. It seemed like she dealt with things like this a lot. Finally, she looked up at the little girl.

"Look," she started. "I agree with the two knuckleheads-"

The 3 girls opened their mouths to retort, but one glare from Max shut them up. I couldn't blame them. I had known her for 20 minutes, and I already knew Max wasn't the kind of girl you wanted to mess with.

"-but that doesn't mean you can kill them."

The two guys looked like they wanted to thank her, but she put her hand up to stop them.

"The only reason I say this," she continued, "is because they are the best weapons specialists in the agency, and Maddie and Jeb would kill me." I noticed she sort of sneered Jeb's name, and made a note to ask her about it.

The smaller blonde went to stand next to the taller blonde. "That hurts my feelings Max!" the tallest blonde said. But after a minute, the smaller guy said, "But thanks for the almost compliment!"

I was a blank for a moment, trying to remember what she said. When I remembered, I almost let my eyes bug out. These guys were the best weapons specialists in the _whole agency?_ They were kids, although one was the same age as me. I had to admit, it was impressive.

While I was thinking about this, the girl with the brown curls put down her vase and smirked at Max. Uh-oh. What was she thinking?

Max seemed to be wondering the same thing, for right after I thought it, she asked warily, "Ella, whatcha smirking at?"

Ella looked between Max and me and said, "Is this guy your new boyfriend?"

I held back my blush. When I looked at Max, it looked like she was trying to do the same. Everybody else seemed to be smirking as well.

Max straightened up and said, "Very funny Ella. I guess you don't want me to tell everyone that you were mumbling 'Iggy' in your sleep last night."

Both Ella and Iggy blushed. Um, okay…..

After smirking at their reactions, Max started speaking in a louder voice.

"This guy isn't my boyfriend, but a new member of the agency. He was an advanced agent at Dark Hawks, and he's been moved here. He'll be helping us with our newest mission."

Everybody nodded, then looked at me.

Max turned toward me. "Alrighty," she said. "This is the flock."

I raised an eyebrow. "The flock?", I questioned.

The African American girl shrugged. "It's just a joke we had when we were all younger. Plus, the name reminds me of birds, which are awesome! Whenever I think of birds, I always wish that I could fly. I mean, I know it's silly that humans could fly **(AN: Ah, the irony!)**, but wouldn't it be so cool? Like, if I had wings attached to my back! I'd probably want brown wings, like chocolate! Ooh! You think we can get so-" The girl's constant chatter was interrupted by Ella's hand on her mouth. I mentally thanked her. That girl was talking so much, the chatter started to become a constant hum.

"Thank you, Ella," Max said gratefully. She looked at me again. "Ok, so the chatterbox is Nudge, the girl with the brown curls is Ella, tall blonde is Iggy, small blonde Gazzy, and little girl Angel. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, guys, CLEAN UP THIS FREAKING MESS!"

Everyone flinched, but obeyed her orders. I blinked. Her explanation had been pretty quick, and I barely caught the strange names.

After nodding at everyone working, Max turned to me, her hair flying as she did. "Okay, I'll show you where your room is."

I nodded, and she led the way out the door. On our way out, Max ran into a flash of red and black. The flash fell, but Max seemed unharmed. She just looked at the flash like it was a disgusting cockroach. It took me a few seconds to figure out the flash was an actual girl.

She was a short redhead, that wore way too much makeup. She was dressed in a _really _tight black suit that looked very uncomfortable. She also had the highest heels I had ever seen. It amazed me how she could even stand. Nevertheless, she got up quickly and started screaming at Max.

"You retard! How do you just go around crashing into people like that? You are so-" The screaming girl suddenly stopped her annoying torrent, seeing me. _Oh-no_, I thought.

Max, who had been listening to the redhead like it was nothing, suddenly smirked. Great, she was probably just gonna watch me suffer while she laughed.

The creepy girl batted her eyelashes at me, but it looked like she had a billion eyelashes in her eyes and she was trying to get them out. Suddenly, who she was clicked in my head.

"Lissa?", I choked out.

She looked shocked, then said, "How do you know…..wait, Fangy?"

I winced, I had always hated that name. "Yeah, it's me."

"Wait," Max interrupted. "You guys know each other?"

"Yes, unlike you Max, I know a guy," Lissa sneered. She turned back to me. "So Fang…did you come here for me?"

I inwardly gagged. Instead, I answered, "No way, Lissa! I'm the new agent here, for the Itex mission. I'm working with Max and her gang."

Lissa looked at Max, disgusted. Then, she turned back to me. "Well, I'll get you back Fang, one way or another."

Not being able to hold it in, Max suddenly started laughing loudly. Lissa paused, and turned to her. "What's so funny, Maxine?" she said, trying to be menacing, but failing miserably.

Max stooped to catch her breath, then straightened up and said, "Oh, sorry Red. It's just fun to watch you fail at trying to get Fang back. But just like all the other guys, he's creeped out after 30 seconds of you talking."

Lissa stomped her foot, causing Max to smirk. It was obvious she liked annoying her, and personally, I thought it funny as well. "Well, at least guys talk to me. Unlike you, Maxy, I actually act like a girl!"

I silently thought about how Max not being a total girly girl was actually _very_ appealing.

Max smirked again. "I don't think screaming in horror and talking are the same thing, Red." I smirked as well, as Lissa screamed and stomped away, her heels clicking annoyingly down the hall.

Max turned to me. "Another important key: Stay away from Lissa and Sam, who you'll probably meet later. Now, to your room."

**LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE LINE**

I looked out at the night sky. The stars were twinkling brightly, the wind whipping through the trees below me. Yeah, you're probably wondering where I am.

Am I floating in the sky?

Nope.

Standing on top of a tree?

Nada.

Am I standing on a balcony, ready to commit suicide?

…..Umm….

…..

He-he, just kidding. I was actually _sitting _on a balcony at the top of the building. After Max had left me alone in my room, I had looked out the window and noticed a huge balcony a few levels above me. So, I climbed out my window, shimmied up the wall, and got to the balcony. Yup, I'm that cool.

It was late at night as I gazed at the landscape. The entire building was quiet, and I couldn't sleep. So I came back up to the balcony.

I was still looking at the dark blanket covering the world when I heard sounds above me. Small pebbles started to fall. I looked up, and saw a dark figure climbing down to the balcony. My instincts kicked in, and I quickly melted into the shadows on the farthest side of the balcony. I silently watched as the figure jumped down. I waited for the person's face to appear, and when it did, I came out of the darkness.

"What's up, Max?", I asked, smirking.

Max jumped, and she turned around, the moonlight shining down perfectly on her face. When she jumped, she put herself into a fighting stance. I noticed how her form was flawless, her face set into a determined stare. When she was it was me, she relaxed, but only slightly, keeping her guard up.

"What the heck are you doing out here, Fang?" she asked, her voice straining to keep quiet.

I shrugged. "Couldn't sleep," I stated simply. She rolled her eyes.

"You have such a way with words," she said sarcastically. "Now, how'd you get up here?"

"I saw it out my window, and I figured I'd check it out," I said calmly.

She sighed, and turned toward the sky, with me watching her.

I could see her relax completely, as if the sight of the sky gave her relief. "I love the sky." she murmured. "When I was still in the streets, and there seemed like no hope, I would just lie down and stare at the sky, at night and at day. I always dreamed of flying up there, and being free with the birds. One night, I saw a shooting star. I wished for a family, for some hope. And the next day, Maddie found me."

She said it almost like in a trance. It sounded so meaningful, I felt like I was intruding on something, and I was surprised she was telling me this. She turned, and almost like she just noticed me, she looked down at her feet.

The silence filled the air, the only sound being the wind and the critters crawling through the world. It was a bit awkward, so I coughed a bit and went to stand next to her.

"So…..tell me about the flock." Her head snapped up, and I could see relief in her eyes. She sat down, causing me to sit down with her.

"As you know, Ella is my sister. She also has an insane crush on Iggy, which you probably noticed. She is a pretty good fighter." I nodded, urging her to continue.

"Nudge is an insane fashonista. So are Ella and Angel, but Nudge beats them by a long shot. She's also really good with technology, considering her parents are engineers and technicians. She _loves _to talk. Her real name is Monique, but we nicknamed her Nudge because it takes a nudge to shut her up." I could tell she was enjoying talking about the flock.

"Iggy is a pyromaniac. His parents were actually criminals, they made illegal weapons and bombs and sold them to terrorists. They were later captured, but the agency took in Iggy. He had learned from his parents, watching what they did, and the agency was impressed. He even called himself Iggy from Ignite. When Angel and Gazzy came here and Gazzy grew up, he taught Gazzy what he knew. Now, they're the destruction duo around here." I allowed a half-smile to escape. I could already understand the bonds between them all.

"Gazzy and Angel are blood siblings. They were so young. Angel is actually sort of like a baby to me, I raised her when she was brought here as a baby. They were also abandoned, and little Gazzy ran carrying Angel and somehow found his way here, and the agency took him in. Gazzy felt so betrayed by his parents, that he never told anyone the name his parents gave him. He called himself Gasman, or Gazzy, because that boy has a funky digestive system." I could see her actually smile a bit. "I named his sister Angel, because, well, she's my little angel. But, she can be kinda creepy. She has this weird way of knowing what everyone's thinking and where criminals plan their next attack. We always joke about how her name is ironic. They all know how to defend themselves, and I know they can take care of themselves if they need to."

She paused, then took a deep breath and whispered, "They mean the world to me. Maddie and Ella are my real sisters, but even if they weren't, I'd still think of them as family. They're _all_ the family I never had." I looked at her, knowing this would probably be one of the few times she would be so sensitive and open.

Her last words seemed to end the conversation, and we sat in silence, gazing at the stars. And when we finally got up and said our slightly lingering good-byes, and I climbed through my bedroom window, I couldn't help but hope that maybe the flock could become my family too.

**So, you guys got to see the sensitive side of Max. Don't worry, that won't appear all the time, she'll still be the tough and sarcastic Max we all love. You all also got some background on the flock.**

**Hope this made up for the long wait! Oh, and ONE MORE THING!**

**Could you guys help me make up some nicknames for Lissa? I don't want to keep using "Red". Thanks, and please review!**


	5. Chapter 5 First Full Day

**Hello everyone! Yeah, I know, it's been FOREVER, but I can totally explain. Of course, most people probably aren't reading this AN right now, but just in case, I will explain everything.**

**See, a few days after my last update, I found out that I was going home to the Philippines for about a month, and the rest of April and beginning of May were spent telling teachers, taking early tests, completing projects, and packing. So, all in all, pretty hectic. **

**Now, I know you're probably thinking, "But why didn't you write a quick AN? I thought you were dead!" Well, you see, I knew that there was internet at my Grandparents' house, and planned to just update there. But, lo and behold, the internet was REALLY messed up. They didn't have wifi, they had connection boxes, but every five minutes, you had to move it around to get the connection back. Plus, the first two weeks I was there, it wasn't working at all. **

**When we came back, it took about a week and a half to get over the jet lag and fix my sleeping schedule. Then I got grounded a few times (hehe), and couldn't use the computer. So…yeah.**

**Thanks for the Lissa nicknames, for those who gave them in! **

_**A QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT**_**: Instead of replies to reviews, I'll be putting up my favorite reviews, whether they're sweet, significant, or very funny! But, if it seems fit, I will reply to your review. **

_**ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMET**_**: In the previous chapter, Max said to stay away from Lissa and Sam, but it should really be Lissa and Dylan, because Sam was in Dark Hawks. Thanks a bunch!**

**Favorite review: Janxi-…Thanks for writing this story and keeping the fans of James Patterson entertained. You're a true hero. ****J**

**I feel special! **

**Quote: "…everybody dies, but not everybody lives. -Drake, Moment 4 Life by Nikki Minaj**

**This chapter is filled with some nonsense, but some significance. Confused? Read the chapter!**

**Disclaimer-See, I'm not a dude, so there's no way I'm James Patterson.**

**Chapter 5. First Full Day**

**Fang's POV**

I woke up the next morning to a friggin' riot.

Well, if you would call Max pounding on the door and screaming a riot, but it sure seemed like it. Ah, just the way I want to wake up in the morning!

Through my hazy state, I could hear doors opening outside in the hall, and people screaming at Max to "shut the hell up!" and "jump off a cliff and die!" See how cheerful people are with Max around?

Of course, with Max being Max, she returned with a statement regarding the human body that seemed impossible, but you never know with Max. This shut everyone up, and they all retreated to their rooms.

Unfortunately, that didn't save me from Max's wrath. I groaned, and turned on my stomach while stuffing my face under my pillow, trying to muffle all the screams of curses and threats. I sourly noticed how cheerful the day looked outside, with the sun shining and birds chirping and everything, yet I was stuck with Maximum Ride trying to get me out of bed.

"Stop banging and screaming like the world's gonna end!" I groaned at her. How could she be so awake?

"It will if you don't get your big butt out of bed!" she shouted back. Well, there goes the sensitive Max from last night.

Eh, might as well get up, I'm not in the mood to see how Max can cause the Apocalypse.

"Big butt?" I muttered to myself as I rolled out of bed. I groaned when my face hit the black carpeted floor, but dutifully stood and walked to the bathroom in my room.

My room was modest. The size was just like any other bedroom, with a white bed and walk-in closet. There was a desk in the corner of the room, and drawers right next to my bed. Right next to my closet was the bathroom. As soon as I had arrived, I had looked at the black walls and quickly painted them the hottest pink imaginable.

….

Nah, just kidding. Actually, black's my favorite color, so I didn't change a thing.

I was out of the closet and out the door in 3 minutes, wearing a black t-shirt, a black leather jacket, black pants, and black converse. Yes, all my clothes are black.

Go ahead, call me emo. I dare you.

I closed the door behind me, and looked at Max. She was wearing a simple red shirt with black skinny jeans and black converse **(AN: Love converse!)**. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, but a few strands fell, framing her face. Even in something so simple, I couldn't help but think she looked attractive.

Max raised an eyebrow at me, and I just looked at her, my gaze saying, _what?_

"Why are you wearing all black? We aren't going on a mission."

I shrugged, smirking when her face turned to a scowl. It was fun to aggravate her, when she was aggravated so easily.

"…you look emo."

Our expressions switched, with me glaring at her smirk.

After a few seconds, I turned around and walked down the hall, silently hoping I was going the right way. Luckily, Max (muttering something that sounded like "you mute or something?") followed me, indicating I was headed the right way, towards the Flock's hangout.

Max and I made small conversation, mostly about our lives before our espionage career, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were getting more comfortable with each other. I found that I liked how Max could be totally badass, but still sensitive enough.

We were getting closer to the hangout, our steps being the only sounds in the hall. The silence allowed for me to sift through my thoughts, and I decided to ask a question I had found there.

"Hey Max."

She turned towards me, her warm eyes curious.

"Is this one of those really serious agencies?" I questioned. I really hoped not. Dark Hawks had been something like that, and it was the only thing I disliked about them.

I could see Max smile a bit, and she shook her head. "This agency is very carefree." She smiled softly. "Most of us here are like the family we never had."

The statement brought back the last thought I'd had last night, but I quickly banished the thought, focusing on what she was saying.

"Actually, most of the flock is pretty mature, but can be immature when they're being carefree. It's one of the things I love about them." We had finally reached the door.

I thought of Iggy, who was the same age as us, and remembered how he had been in the middle of the Justin Bieber fight the day before. "And Iggy?"

Max shrugged, her ponytail swishing about. She started opening the door. "He can be pretty mature, I guess."

We stepped through the threshold, and the smell of eggs and bacon suddenly filled my nose. The first thing I saw was Iggy, who was standing in front of the stove, holding a frying pan.

Iggy looked up, and when he saw us, he grinned.

"So…what were you guys doing that made you so late? We could hear all kinds of noises, and it sounded like you guys were having some wild se-"

"Then again, I have a theory he was raised by rabid monkeys." Max glared at Iggy, while I shook my head, mentally grinning.

I looked around at the room. It was brightly lit, and you could feel the cheeriness in the air. A voice in my head noticed how this was exactly how I wished I could feel as a child. I shook my head again, as if I was trying to shake the thought from my mind and onto the floor.

Hearing snickers, I looked up and saw the rest of the flock sitting at the dining table, each with a plate of steaming food and a glass of orange juice. Max turned as well, and seeing their grins, glared venomously (she seemed to be doing that a lot). I smirked as the flock cleared their throats and turned back to the delicious-looking food.

Max: 1

Rest of the World: 0

But Iggy was far from finished. "Ah, so some "teasing" for toni-"

"IGGY!", Max screamed, while I took my turn to glare at the strawberry blonde. He snickered and gave Max and me our plates of hot breakfast. He winced when Max pinched him hard on the finger as she took the plate from him.

We made our way to the dining table. This time, the flock was smart enough to hide their amused grins before we reached the table. I took a seat, and the rest of the flock smiled warmly at me, indicating their friendliness towards me.

After taking my seat, I took my first bite, expecting an average taste of eggs and bacon. Instead, I received a mouthful of bliss. A taste of heaven. A spoonful of Paramore, Linkin Park, and Green Day ALL AT ONCE. Seriously, something like that should be illegal.

"Holy crap!" I whisper-shouted, completely entranced by the amazing taste bursting in my mouth.

"We know…" I distinctly heard Angel sigh out.

"We think Iggy puts ecstasy in our food everyday," whispered Ella.

"Ah, you found my secret." Iggy, overhearing, came over to the table, chewing on his own portion. He swallowed loudly, and answered, "I get it from that crazy monkey trainer near the Unicorn Stables." He winked at Ella, causing her to blush.

Max smirked knowingly at her pink sister, then said, "Guys, I'm showing Fang the rest of the agency, so try not to cause too much trouble."

She looked pointedly at Iggy and Gazzy, who smiled sheepishly. After staring at them long enough to make them squirm, she continued. "At exactly 12:30, Jeb is going to give us a debriefing in the conference room, so don't be late."

Immediately, Nudge's chatter began. "You know, I heard that this mission is supposed to be one of the most important missions of all of Winged Angels history! And we were assigned it! That means we're the best of the best! Can you believe it? That's like finding out your Christmas wish came true, like when I wished for-" Nudge was (thankfully) cut off when Gazzy slapped his hand over her mouth, and she glared at him. Suddenly, Gazzy's face twisted into confusion.

"Hey, there's something wet-" With a shriek, he ripped his hand off Nudge's mouth. "She licked my hand! She freakin' licked my hand!" Everyone at the table snickered as Gazzy raced to the sink and proceeded to scrub of 5 layers of skin. Afterwards, he loped casually back to our table, grinning.

I'm still confused on how it started, but there was a splash of water, followed by orange juice. Suddenly, eggs and bacon were flying, and I found myself joining in the food fight. Max had tried to stop the fight, but had given up and was currently flinging eggs at Angel, who threw her juice at me.

I was already liking these people.

→ {0; •█ Ä• ├º◄-┴ á ╓½╪╒σ,≤╥è{ §Nx╥

"…and this is the gadgets room, " Max said as we walked inside the double doors.

Yes, we made it out of the food fight alive. Luckily, we hadn't gotten _too_ messy, so we didn't have to change our clothes or anything.

An hour later, Max and I had started my tour of the famous Winged Angels. I had already seen the cafeteria, where everyone else usually ate, the training grounds, the testing room for gadgets, and the command center, where hundreds of people sat in front of computers and listened to reports and bugs.

We had arrived in the place I had wanted to see most, the gadgets room. I loved them. I just somehow had a fetish for them, like Iggy and Gazzy supposedly did with their explosives.

We walked in the room, or more appropriately, laboratory. Everywhere I looked, I saw men and women running around holding some kind of machinery or scribbling on a clipboard. I watched as two men tested a gadget that looked like a claw, as one man clipped one on each hand and scaled the smooth, gray wall. Wow. I really wanted to try that one.

Max led me to a door in the way back of the large room, labeled PRIVATE. She knocked on the door, and it immediately opened, revealing a tall man that looked to be in his 60's, with thinning gray hair and glasses. He reminded me of one of those sweet grandfathers on tv. He smiled warmly at us, and beckoned us inside.

We all walked into the room, which was slightly bigger than my bedroom. As the man closed the door, I looked around. Instead of black walls like my room, there were computer screens. Random pieces of machinery cluttered the room, and a desk on the right of the room overflowed with papers. All in all, it was pretty messy.

I turned around as the man started speaking. "Hello Max! Who's your friend? Are you finally getting past that old motto of yours?"

I could see Max trying not to blush as I smirked. After recovering, Max was able to reply.

"Actually Mr. Crully, this is Fang. He's my new partner and just arrived here yesterday."

Mr. Crully turned to me, still smiling. I only nodded at him. Still smiling, he shook his head. "You're one of those silent ones, aren't you?"

Before I could answer him, or at least shrug, Max cut in. "He's mute Mr. Crully, so don't even bother."

I glared at her, while she smirked victoriously at me. She just couldn't stop teasing me, could she? Yet, it was one of the things about her that interested me, considering most girls I met were frightened by my glare.

Mr. Crully chuckled, causing us both to look at him. He was grinning mysteriously, but I didn't comment. "So what brings you lovebirds here to my lovely abode?"

Ignoring the jab, Max answered. "Fang needs his weapon."

I looked at her strangely, wondering why I'd need a weapon. Spies were always given gadgets, and knew martial arts. Seeing my stare, she answered my silent question.

"It's more of a precaution. If your gadgets are stripped from you somehow, your weapon could be your last resort, per say. Mr. Crully designs the weapons so that they can be hidden to be difficult to find, but easy to access." As if to demonstrate, Max held out her arms. I raised my eyebrow.

Max sighed exasperatedly, and shook her arms impatiently. "Feel up my arms." Okay, that's not a question you hear everyday.

Shrugging, I walked up to her and started rubbing her arms. I inwardly flinched as I felt… sparks in my hands, yet they weren't painful. I'd never felt anything like it before. I found that I liked it. I looked to Max to see if she felt it too, and I could see an unknown emotion in her eyes.

We locked eyes, and I wanted to shiver, but forced it down. Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned to see Mr. Crully smirking at us. "You can stop molesting her arms, Fang."

Stop molesting…..oh. I looked down to see my hands still rubbing her arms. We quickly took a step back from each other. I was staring at my shoes, which suddenly seemed very interesting. C'mon Fang, don't be such a friggin' pansy! Look at her!, I chanted to myself. Max laughed uncertainly, and I forced my eyes to look at her.

She coughed a bit, then continued as if nothing had happened. But I could see her eyes darting uncertainly, confused. "Um…..so anyway, my arms felt normal, right?"

I nodded in answer, and I could see her smirk a bit, gradually going back to her usual self. Then, with a quick flick of her wrist, two deadly looking knives fell into her hands. She brandished them in a dangerous pose that screamed, _I can kill you! _

I let my eyes widen, and Mr. Crully chuckled again. "They're a special design I made myself." He walked leisurely to Max, as if she wasn't holding two knives that could rip him in half.

He held out his hand, and Max carefully placed one in it. He held it out to me, and I held it up to the light, examining it.

The knife was a bit smaller than a regular knife, and seemed sleeker. It was more like a dagger. I looked more closely, and saw that the dagger was slight curved, and flat enough that if fit tightly against the flat of your arm. That explained why I didn't feel it. The hilt was almost as flat as the blade, but still felt sturdy. But even if the knife was flat, I knew that it could seriously hurt any enemies. I was pretty impressed. Hmm, if cutlery knives were made like this, you could prepare a meal anywhere!

….Sorry, way too random for me. See, this is why I try not to talk!

I handed the blade back to Max as Mr. Crully continued. "I have various weapons for you to choose from, why don't you come over here?" He led me to a small closet next to the computer screens. I followed him and Max into the closet, and stepped inside.

Alright, I knew that the closet wasn't going to be filled with shirts and shoes, but I still wasn't expecting what I saw. For one thing, the thing wasn't even a the size of a closet. It was like a full hallway! The walls were covered in shelves, and the shelves were filled with every kind of weapon you can think of. Guns, knives, bow and arrows (how the hell would you hide that?), sword, axes, maces, and such. Man, I could just imagine what chaos would ensue if one of our enemies got a hold of this stash…..

I walked around, looking for a weapon that would suit me. I wanted something smaller, so the bigger weapons were out. I didn't have a huge liking to guns; I wanted something pretty smooth and easy for me to use in combat. So I was pretty much looking for some kind of knife or dagger.

I searched for a knife that would suit me, but they all seemed too chunky, too large, too intricate, or just wrong! But near the end of the hall, I found the perfect knife. The shape was much like Max's, but it was slightly bigger. The hilt was also a dark black, and it was also sturdier, so the knife probably didn't go in my arms like Max's.

I looked back at Mr. Crully and Max, and pointed at the weapon. "I like this one."

Mr. Crully walked over to my position and smirked when he saw what I had chosen. "I had a feeling you'd pick this one." Max followed, and examined my choice. "Not bad, Fang." Mr. Crully picked up the knife and some kind of attachment that was next to it. He attached it to the hilt of the knife, and slid the blade into a black sheath that was in a cabinet below the shelves.

"Place the knife blade-first into your shoe. The sheath has a clasp that'll attach to your shoe, and the attachment will stick on your jeans."

Following his directions, I found that he was right. When I placed the knife in my right shoe, I could feel the click of the clasp on my shoe. Straightening, I looked at my shoe and saw that the hilt blended in perfectly with my jeans, and the entire knife curved slightly, fitting onto my leg. You couldn't even tell that the knife was there, and I was sure that you wouldn't feel sheath either. But, there was a downside. Sure, the clasp and camouflage was cool, but I couldn't bend down to retrieve the knife in the middle of a fight! I could just imagine it:

_I'm fighting the director of the - agency. My gadgets had been stripped from me earlier, but my knife was still on me, and I was sure that I could defeat him if I took it out! I give him my trademark glare, and he falters slightly. I smirk, and bend down to retrieve the knife from my shoe, and as I'm pulling on the clasp_, _the director flings his knife at me, and I die. Just like that. _

Well, that probably won't happen, but I still want to be sure.

Suddenly, Mr. Crully speaks up. "Stomp your foot."

Max and I look at him weirdly. So we're doing the hokey-pokey now? He sighs impatiently, and says, "Just do it."

I exchanged a look with Max, who merely shrugged. I shrug back, and stomp my foot. Immediately, the entire knife shoots upwards, with the hilt facing the ceiling. Thinking quickly, I shoot my hand out and grasp the knife on the hilt.

Okay, admit it. That is wicked cool.

"Whoa," Max and I breathe out at the same time. I look at Mr. Crully, who's grinning. "It's my newest model. As you probably noticed, the entire shape of the knife is also sturdier and stronger, and the material used isn't metal, so it won't be detected. I hope you enjoy it!" He smiles warmly at me, and I grin back. Obviously, Mr. Crully isn't your regular grandpa.

¬ºë ┴y^^N╞~│┼»6%‼█ |╨^║}‼╤3∩⌐&╔Ä^╦ì:

Max and I were headed for the conference room for the debriefing. She was a bit grumpy that my weapon was more advanced than hers, but she was starting to get over it. She was telling me about Jeb, who was the director of the agency. Apparently, she didn't completely trust him.

"He used to be the director of Itex," she explained. "He says that after finding out that Itex was experimenting on kids, he left and came here to tell what they had been doing." I had heard that as well, about the experimenting. Apparently, Itex mutated a bunch of kids and tested them, but while I had penetrated Itex, I hadn't seen anything like that. Max's voice was sour as she continued. "Maddie says that a bunch of guards around here say that sometimes, at night, he drives off and comes back in the morning, but he claims it's to do business or something. I think that Jeb coming here is some kind of ploy to destroy us, and letting Itex take over the world, or something." She was grimacing now.

"But it's been about 20 years," I cut in. "Wouldn't he have done something by now?"

Max shrugged, and I noticed that we were already in front of the Conference Room. Wow, time passes, doesn't it?

We pushed open the doors, and I examined the room. It looked like your average conference room, with a long table with chairs on the long sides, which were occupied with the Flock on the left side. A projection screen stood at the head of the table, with Jeb, Maddie, and David standing next to it. I made a mental note to talk with David after the debriefing.

Max and I sat across from the flock, and they stopped their chattering to talk with us. As they were commenting on my weapon (Iggy and Gazzy kept asking me to stomp my foot to release the knife), Jeb cleared his throat.

"Alright, I'm pretty sure you all know what mission we'll be debriefing you on, so I'll just cut to the chase." But before Jeb could continue, Maddie cut in.

"But first, we have a piece of information you should all know before we begin."

"I really don't think you should tell them yet-", Jeb interrupted, but Maddie and David both silenced him with a glare.

David picked up where Maddie left off, sounding a bit grave. "We've discovered that there is a traitor somewhere in the agency."

**Phew, long chapter! So, just to summarize, Fang is getting closer to Max and the rest of the flock, but there's a traitor in the agency! Who do you think it is? I really hope this makes up for the really long wait, so I hoped you enjoyed! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6 Dinner Party Gone Wrong Part 1

**Man, I really suck at updates…. Anyway, I decided to grant you a long chapter to try to bring up your broken spirits. **

**FAVORITE REVIEWER: Just Another Dove**** ...Okay, I seriously want that knife. Like, I'd steal it from Fang, paint it hot pink with glitter (I'D SO DRAW A UNICORN ON IT!), then give it back. Bwahaha.  
Yeah...moving on...  
I loved the chapter, and seriously, you're an amazing writer. Don't worry about updating late, cause we all understand. And about that knife...I mean, if all he has to do is stomp, then how come the knife doesn't come out when he's like, running (or doing ballet)? I mean, wouldn't that be...slightly hazardous? Yes, insanely cool, but yet insanely dangerous (well they are secret agents...)  
Like, I can just imagine it:  
This is it. All they need to do is make it out of the building in time, before the bomb explodes. I'm panting, and my steps are getting heavier, and heavier. Suddenly, I hear a whoosh from my shoes. What was that? Whatever. I just need to make it out. Then I hear a cry of pain. I turn around to see Max falling with a knife in her eye. Oops.  
I mean, seriously, I'd be kinda freaked out...Yeah...**

**Hee-Hee, that was funny. I put this review up not only because it was funny, but because I could use it to answer a question I'm sure many of you have about the knife. **

**I thought about it for a while, and decided stomping would be better than just stepping, much because of the example put by Just Another Dove. Stomping, I imagined, would take more force than running or landing or something, so I put it as stomping. Hopefully, that answers the question you had.**

**One other thing: I've decided to make Dylan friendly. Honestly, I just feel like doing something different, so….yeah, Dylan's nice. **

**QUOTE: **** (in the middle of an Autobot and Decepticon war) "I hope those F-16s got good aim."**

"**Yeah? Why's that?"**

"**I told them to hit the orange smoke."**

**(looks at orange smoke just a few feet away from them)**

"…**..you mean that orange smoke?"**

"…**..it wasn't my best throw…."**

"**RUN!"**

**-Sergeant Epps and Major Lennox in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen**

**Let's get started!**

**Disclaimer-My name isn't James…how can I be James Patterson?**

**Chapter 6-Dinner Party Gone Wrong Part 1**

**Fang POV**

My legs pumped steadily, my dress shoes pinching my feet, yet I didn't stop running.

The rest of the gang was scattered around me, sprinting away from the barks and shouts echoing through the dark hallway. Max was in front, her red dress flying in the air as she turned corridors left and right. Luckily, she had shed her heels earlier, letting her run just as fast as the rest of us.

"Max! They're getting closer!" Nudge's now straight hair was scattered around her shoulders, the pins she had carefully placed in them long gone. Her waiter's jacket that matched Angel's and Ella's was slightly ripped, probably from the hasty retreat we'd had to make.

"Iggy!" Max barked. "Do you remember anything from the diagram at all? Some kind of exit near…." Max looked around at the labeled doors that surrounded us. If only we had enough time to go into one…

"….Conference O2?" Max said, referring to the big double doors we had just passed.

Iggy closed his eyes, his feet pounding against the floor. He and Gazzy were wearing their regular black, spy ensemble, which I wished I was wearing instead of the horrible tuxedo I was in now.

Suddenly, Iggy's eyes snapped open as he shouted back, "I think if we make a right and two lefts, there's a clearly marked exit door!"

Everyone nodded to him as we continued running for our mission's sake.

Okay, let's pause for a sec. How many of you are confused right now? One, two, three, fou-oh okay, all of you. Alright, let me explain.

If you remember, I left you with a creepy cliffhanger of a traitor being somewhere in Winged Angels. So, to help you out, let's go back to what happened after that, and work our way here. Cool? Great.

Here we go.

"A traitor?", Max repeated. The three adults nodded slowly.

Yup, that's right folks. Not only did we have to go through possibly the most dangerous mission of our careers, but we also had to deal with a stupid weasel in the agency.

How do you people live your days?

Angel spoke up, her voice confident and strong, even though she was asking a question that could have an answer that could end our mission, and our lives.

"Do we have any clue who the traitor may be?"

Maddie looked pained as she stated a simple no.

"So let me get this straight." Iggy said casually. "We are going to be executing a dangerous mission AND we'll have to deal with some stupid double agent who, right now, has no identity whatsoever?"

"Um, yeah…" David said cautiously. He probably thought Iggy would blow up in their faces.

Which is why he looked plenty surprised when Iggy grinned and exclaimed, "This just makes it all the more fun!" Then he and Gazzy slapped high fives.

…typical.

Unlike Iggy, everyone else looked a bit uneasy, and who could blame them? We were having the worst luck ever, but we had no choice. We had to save the world.

I looked over at Max, and wasn't surprised to see her glaring at Jeb. I recalled what she said about his history, and started to feel a bit of resentment towards him. But even though he seemed to be a prime suspect, I knew that this spy could be anyone in the agency.

Like that so-called crazy monkey trainer near the Unicorn Stables, according to Iggy.

Jeb cleared his throat, causing everyone to look up at him. If he noticed Max glaring at him, he didn't make any remark about it.

"Back to the mission," he declared. "We've just intercepted a message and found that there is a secret and exclusive dinner party taking place tomorrow night, introducing Itex to some buyers and sponsors. Apparently, the head of Genetic Engineering of Itex will be hosting, so this is the perfect time to try to uncover what Itex is working on in the DNA department."

Everyone was quiet as Jeb looked at the seven of us straight on.

"Max and Fang, you will be our undercover field agents for this mission. We've already gone ahead and gotten your personas into the guest list of the convention. Max, you'll be the daughter of a family looking for new product to put your family's money into. Fang will be your date, with the both of you conversing with everyone and gathering as much intel as you can. Iggy and Gazzy, you'll be going into the building, listening to Max and Fang's conversations and researching and bugging rooms. Bring some bombs, just in case. Angel, Nudge, and Ella, you will be undercover waiters, keeping tabs on Max and Fang and being back-up in case they need it."

Jeb continued on, explaining more about the mission, but I lost a bit of focus after hearing that Max and I would be going undercover as dates. And considering that this sounded like some a classy dinner party, Max would have to wear a dress and heels and…..

Oh dear God.

Jeb turned to Max and me, looking expectant.

"I trust you both can fabricate a good background story?"

Max and I nodded with ease. Lying was one of the most important aspects of espionage. Every spy needed to have this skill down. I had a feeling Max was just as good at this as I was, but this thought somehow made me more uneasy.

Maddie nodded to the both of us. "There won't be any major gadgets for this mission, but bring your weapons. Max, we'll give you your skin cover for your knives."

Wow, they were really prepared.

"Oh, and one more thing," David interrupted. His voice was a bit steely as he continued, "Don't mention any details of this debriefing. We need to do our best to keep this double agent out of the loop."

And on that happy note, we were all dismissed.

**/**

"Ow, ow, OW! Nudge, they don't have to be perfect!"

No, I had no idea what Max was screaming about. It was the night of the mission, and Nudge, Angel, and Ella had decided to beautify Max themselves, telling me that Max was hopeless at putting on makeup.

Honestly, I didn't see the big deal about it. I'd seen tons of girls wearing so much make-up, it was like smearing a whole 2 layers of peanut butter onto your skin.

Yup. Disgusting.

Plus, I didn't think Max needed that much makeup. It seemed kinda hot when a girl seemed beautiful without that pound of makeup on her face.

Somehow, Max was the only girl that bothered to go out without makeup and still looked radiant.

God, I'm turning into a girl now.

Gazzy, Iggy, and I were leaning in front of Max's door, waiting for the girls to come out so we could drive up to the convention.

They were taking FOREVER. How long does it take to put on a dress, shoes, and put some stuff on your face? Just so the girls out there know: guys get impatient easily. Which is exactly why Gazzy and Iggy kept fooling around and talking, completely bored out of their minds.

They were currently discussing something quietly, and all I could get was: "wires…..chlorine…backpack…..time limit….too short…."

As you can expect, I was a bit frightened about what the crap they were talking about, and didn't want to find out anytime soon.

I kept fidgeting around, trying to get used to the suit that had decided, "Hey! I think I'd like to squeeze the guts out of Fang right now!"

The shoes weren't much help either. They were pinching my shoes way too tight, and I had a feeling I'd only have eight toes after this ordeal.

"Hey Fang," Iggy suddenly called out, interrupting my attempt at trying to get blood to flow into my toes.

I turned to him, expectant. He and Gazzy had stopped their conversation and seemed to be scrutinizing me, as if waiting for something to happen.

"You know how important and dangerous this mission is…..right?" Gazzy's voice was cautious, and I prepared myself for whatever was about to come.

"Of course. The entire world may be sitting on this mission. Why?" I was genuinely curious.

"Well…..there was this new guy on our team a few months ago, and I think he came from Dark Hawks too. On our first recon mission with him, he freaked out and set off all the alarms by accident, and we were almost caught. He got kicked off after only a week here…..you aren't gonna do that, right? We can't risk getting caught like that again." Iggy's voice was totally serious as he explained Sam's situation to me, which I'd never heard before. All I'd known was that he'd completely bombed on a mission.

I realized that Iggy and Gazzy were making sure I was the real deal-that I wouldn't let them down and almost get everyone killed. They didn't want anyone they cared about to get hurt.

"Guys, I can promise you that I'll stay strong and cool on this mission. Who knows," I smirked at them. "I may end up being your best agent here."

Iggy and Gazzy's postures suddenly relaxed as Gazzy countered with a grin, "Good luck surpassing Max. She's the best at everything around here!"

And right on cue, Max stepped out into the hallway, and I struggled to keep my composure.

Her hair fell in curls around her face, framing it perfectly. Her face held little makeup, but it was still somehow able to highlight her brown eyes and high cheekbones. Her lips were glossy, shining in the light. A red dress hugged her body perfectly, then flowed down to her knees. Black heels rested on her feet, making her a bit taller and her legs seem miles long.

I only needed one word to sum her up: flawless.

She had a confident mask up, but I was able to sense a bit of unease and shyness in her eyes. Yet, she spoke with a clear voice and with a sense of authority as she asked, "Everybody ready?"

The rest of the girls stepped out, dressed in their waiters costumes. Nudge had straightened her hair, but that seemed to be the only difference. It would be easy for them to blend: no one really paid attention to the waiters. Max and I, on the other hand, had to be a bit disguised. Max had curled her hair, and my hair had been gelled back a bit, out of its usual scruffy form.

We all looked up to Max. Only a day had passed, and I had already found one of the most important pieces of info: Max was in charge. And arguing with her could equal a few broken limbs and bruises.

"Alright. We all have our roles. Everyone stay calm and do your part as best as you can. We're aiming for no injuries tonight; it's just a small intel mission. Understand?"

We all nodded. But in my head, I was thinking about how Max's uncanny ability at lying had tricked us into downplaying our situation.

**/  
**

David was escorting us to our ride outside. He and I were ahead of the group, conversing a bit as the rest talked animatedly in the back. The night was dark and cool, a soft wind blowing through the air.

"You nervous?" he asked, turning as we headed to the parking lot in the back of the Wal-Mart the agency was hidden in.

I shrugged. "Not really." I admitted. "It's not overly dangerous, so I'm not too worried."

David nodded. I turned the conversation towards him. "So, how's Maddie?"

He suddenly smiled, and I had a feeling that things were great. But before he even had a chance to respond, we had reached the car.

"So are you driving us?" Max walked up to us, her heels clacking on the asphalt.

"Nope. I believe a fellow agent is driving you guys….I forgot his name…"

He opened the passenger door, and I was met with a smirking dude with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes.

He seemed like a perfectly okay guy to me, but Max's contradicting snort was apparent.

"Jeb put you in driving duty? I guess you had no other uses, Dylan."

Dylan's smirk faltered a bit, and I couldn't help my own smirk that made its way on my face. As everyone started settling into the back of the car and I had waved goodbye to David, Dylan seemed to finally notice me.

"You the new agent everyone's talking about?" His tone was scrutinizing as he stared me down. I stared right back, unnerved.

"Depends. Are they talking about a really handsome guy that they know is gonna kick some butt? 'Cuz if they are, then it's probably me."

Dylan's stare softened a bit as he smirked again, amused. "Hmm, a sense of humor…..better than the last guy, so far."

I could hear Max snort from the back as I slid into the passenger's seat. "Dylan, stop socializing with the newbie and start driving already!" Max's voice was adamant and annoyed, and I could tell that she didn't like Dylan one bit.

Dylan grinned at Max through the rearview mirror as he started pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street. "I'll do whatever you tell me, babe."

Max growled under her breath as a cold chill ran through me. Babe? I looked at Dylan again, trying to read if it'd been more as a pet name, but he was totally focused on the road.

The ride was mostly quiet, just a few questions about the mission. I knew everyone was just preparing, like I was. We all knew that this wasn't just some regular recon mission. This was one that was part of a bigger picture, a much scarier, twisted picture that we couldn't quite identify yet. But this mission could actually give us some clarity.

Dylan pulled up a few miles away from a large, bleach white building with columns coming down next to the front door. The door was being guarded by bouncers with dark glasses and clipboards. This was it. No turning back.

Dylan and I turned to face the rest of the group seated in the back. I wasn't too surprised to see that each seat had a computer on the armrest and the floor had hidden doors, probably hiding weapons that may be needed in dire situations. I snuck a quick peek at the dashboard. There was a small screen in the center, like usual cars have with GPS. But I knew that that screen had so much more info than just where to go to get to Pizza Hut. There were also various buttons scattered on the dashboard, probably triggering different weapons and forms of the car.

Max started to speak, focusing all attention on her. "Okay, Iggy and Gazzy, here's where you should enter." Max tapped her fingernail on the screen of her computer as Iggy and Gazzy focused on the front of the car. Suddenly, the windshield started sprouting images and maps, and I whistled lowly, impressed. I had a feeling that the images wouldn't be seen from the outside. This was way more advanced than Dark Hawks had been; we just had vans with various computers in the back.

Max smirked at my whistle. "You're impressed way too easily," she stated.

I glared at her, annoyed when her smirk only grew wider. Giving up, I sat back in the seat, preparing to wait for Iggy and Gazzy to enter the building. But I was surprised when they both turned towards the rest of us, their fists out, waiting. Everyone seemed to grin as they stacked their own fists on top of theirs, so it was all one long line of fists. Suddenly, they all looked at me, then at Max.

Max seemed wary, but she said in a clear voice, "Go on, put your hands on top. You are a part of us now…."

I looked at Dylan with an eyebrow raised, but he seemed to be pretending not to notice what we were all doing.

I hesitantly put my fists on top, then watched as everyone did a fist bump with every other fist, while I copied their movements. As soon as we had all removed our fists, Iggy and Gazzy opened the door and streaked outside towards the back of the building, staying in the shadows.

I looked at Nudge for an explanation, and she smiled brightly. "Flock tradition. We do it before every mission."

Ella smirked. "We've been doing it since the beginning of time, and we don't plan on stopping it now."

I glanced at Max to see her reaction, and she smiled slightly at me before focusing back on her computer screen. I slowly settled back into my chair, waiting for Iggy and Gazzy's signal.

About 2 minutes later, their faces popped back up on the windshield. "Systems clear, ready to go. You may proceed!" Iggy and Gazzy winked at us before their image vanished.

Dylan brought the car forward, closer so we were only a few feet away, but still hidden in the shadows of the trees close by. Max spoke again. "Angel, Ella, and Nudge, enter normally, don't draw any attention towards yourselves. You guys got your earpieces?" All three nodded in confirmation. "All right, good luck." The three soundlessly opened the door and slipped outside, the three of us watching as they walked up to the guards, talked for a bit, then entered the building.

The earpiece in my ear crackled a few seconds later with a, "Proceed," by Angel. Max and I looked at eachother, quickly stepping out of the car.

"Good luck, guys!" Dylan shouted quietly as he sped away. Max took a deep breath, her composure relaxed.

"Ready, Fang?" I nodded silently as she took my arm, and we walked leisurely to the doors. I couldn't help the slight tingles I felt at Max's touch as we neared closer and closer to our destination. I felt her grip tighten a bit as we came up to the guards, people still lingering on the lawns outside the building, socializing a bit.

"Names?" the guard on the right asked gruffly. His head was egg-shaped, the top perfectly shiny and round. The moon reflected off of it as he shifted a bit, looking down at his clipboard. I was pretty sure you could see your reflection on his head…..

"Amy Letherman." Max's voice was clear and strong, her face composed to look perfectly at ease. I was silently hoping mine looked the same.

The guard nodded before looking at me. "Chris Shepard." I stated simply. He nodded once more as two other guards opened the doors, Max and I perfectly in step as we stepped through the threshold.

We stopped at the top of a long staircase leading down to a large ballroom. People dressed in fancy clothes were standing around, talking, drinking, laughing, some sitting at the bar. Others were already on the dance floor, swaying to a soft, jazzy tune.

Suddenly, Ella's voice crackled in my ear. "You guys in yet?"

Immediately, Max and I scanned the room, spotting Angel, Nudge, and Ella holding trays filled with food and drinks, serving anyone who called. They seemed perfectly at ease.

Max whispered, "Yup. Commencing mission now."

Max looked at me, her eyebrow raised, as if asking, _Are you ready for this_?

I smirked slightly at her, feeling the slight adrenaline rush through my veins. "Showtime," I whispered to her, and she smiled at me in response as we started down the stairs.

**To be honest with you guys, I'm not too proud of this chapter….I've actually had this in my computer since October, but I kept rereading and editing, and it just never seemed right….oh well…Review?**


	7. Chapter 7 Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Hey guys. Sorry if I excited all you guys by making you think this was an update. I'm sure you're all expecting the worst right now since almost nothing good can come out of author's notes that come out of nowhere but you know….yeah.

First of all, I seriously need to apologize to you guys. My sisters made me realize that I've been leaving this story hanging for about a year now and I feel horrible about it. And I know that this is the most overused excuse in the world, but school and sports and just LIFE has gotten in the way and it sucks. If it were up to me, I'd be updating for you guys every day if I had the time and inspiration for it, because I seriously love all you guys so much. But it's so unrealistic and I don't want to make any empty promises or give you false hope. (I just saw a Dish commercial with this guy screaming about a news channel saying being in the kitchen and under the bed is dangerous and I'm laughing my ass off because the guy's screams are so high pitched and girly)

The load is pretty easy right now, and I'm going to try to give you guys SOMETHING because I've been feeling guilty and upset and becoming a fanfiction author that doesn't care and I really don't want to be like that. However, I can't promise that it's going to be Maximum Ride related because the series ended…..weird and I just wasn't satisfied and the spark from there is dimming. I'm sorry, but I will try. And if I don't make something with Maximum Ride, I apologize for those of you that were really looking forward to something like that. I just can't force myself to write something that doesn't inspire me, but I really will make an attempt (maybe some suggestions?).

With that said, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm abandoning my two other Maximum Ride stories. If you guys saw my story notebook, you'd see it full of plot points and chapters for both those stories. But like I said earlier, that inspiration light is dimming. However, having them written down in pen and paper may help and I WILL REALLY TRY. I already have about half of the next chapter for _Love is a Deadly Mission_ and _No Itex, Right?_ on my computer, it's just hard right now to finish them.

I'm so sorry that I've been gone so long and making you guys think that I was either dead or lazy or stupid or whatever of that nature. I'm sure some of you are cursing me and yelling and I honestly can't express to you how sorry I really am. However, now that I'm more in the swing of things, I really think I'll actually be able to come back to Fanfiction fully. Thank you to all you guys that have been staying patient and kind and amazing, I give you all internet hugs. It's only because of you guys that I haven't given up yet, so pat yourself on the back. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

-PowerInWriting


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